QAS Audubon walk in the Park - Feb 19

With the beautiful weather we had the last few days, if was a prefect time to have our Audubon walk in the Union Canal Park today as part of the Great Backyard Bird count, with temps in the high 60's...in mid February. 

We started the walk at 2pm, with 16 participants, at first we didn't have much bird activity....a few tufted titmouse, Carolina wrens and cardinals.

Northern Cardinal

As we traversed the woodlot, we added a few species including red-tailed Hawk, White Breasted nuthatch, and heard the call of the Pileated Woodpecker - which exluded us for the entire trip - although we heard it calling several more times.

Red Tailed Hawk soaring

Upon entering the meadow at the top of the trai woodlot, we enjoyed watching the Bluebirds, and several Red bellied Woodpeckers...and a 2nd Red Tailed Hawk soaring overhead.

Eastern Bluebird

As we continue along the trail, a member of group spotted a small bird among the undergrowth..at first it was thought to be a kinglet, but upon a closer look by several members of the group - at the dull yellow green drab species, with a small black bill, slight eye strip and yellow under the tail -
 the ID was confirmed as an Orange-Crowned warbler...a real surprise for this time our area at this time of the year. Needless to say, everyone in the group was quite excited about viewing this species...and for several participants it was a life bird (no photo taken).

Orange Crowned Warbler - ID

We continue, to the end of end of the walk, after 2 1/2 hours with a total count of 21 species..but the Orange Crowned Warbler made the trip a memorable one for many in the group - myself included.

Until next time - good birding

 

A Rare Visitor to Middle Creek - Eurasian Green winged Teal

Stopped by for a quick look at the number of Snow Goose arrivals on the main lake..there are about 70,000 currently....and more on the way.

When leaving the area, I observed a local birder checking out the entrance road ponds and decided to stop and chat...about what was being seen in the area.

To my surprise, I was informed that he was looking a Eurasian Green Winged Teal...a new life bird for me. Needless to say, I was thrilled to observe this very rare species at one of my favorite birding location. You never know what will show up...as a birding mentor of mine always said: they have wings they can go (or fly) whenever they want.

Below are some of the differences between the two species, you can see the horizontal strip on the Eurasain Green Winged Teal and lack of vertical strip in the first photo a very definitive marking.

Until next time - good birding.

Eurasian Green Wing Teal  at Middle Creek                  

photo by D Williams

Major character 1: horizontal scapular stripe
Eurasian Green-winged Teal: Bold horizontal white stripe from shoulder back to tail. At rest, the scapulars cover the folded wing from above, while the gray feathers of the side of breast cover the wing from below. As a result, the wings of many ducks are not visible when at rest. The lower scapular feathers have a black outer web and a broad white inner web. It is this white inner web of the scapular feathers that produced the horizontal white stripe on the Eurasian Green-winged Teal. Sometimes the lower gray side feathers cover a portion of the white stripe. Usually, however, the stripe is very obvious, and the white is wider than the black.
American Green-winged Teal: The black outer web of the scapular feathers may be visible, but are usually not obvious. The inner webs are brownish gray and do not contrast boldly with the back. Thus, the American form never shows a white scapular stripe.


Major character 2: vertical white breast bar
American Green-winged Teal: Bold vertical white bar from shoulder downward across the side of the breast.
Eurasian Green-winged Teal: Absolutely no hint of a vertical white bar on the side of the breast.

Snow Goose arriving at Middle Creek Wildlife Area

It was a rather warm February day with tempos in the upper 50F...and with snow forecast for tomorrow..I decided to spend a few hours at my favorite birding location.

Tundra Swans

Looking out over main lake from Stop 1

arriving around 1:15p at stop 12 to check the main and visitors center ponds. There where Gadwall, Ring Necked Ducks, several hundred Tundra Swans, and several Black ducks...to name a few. 

After spending about 45 mins scoping the ponds and surrounding area and adding 2 immature Bald Eagles and a pair of Red Tailed Hawks to the growing list..I next drove to the boat dock to scope the back section of the lake.

Amer Widgeon

More Tundra swans

 Arriving at the boat dock to look at about 15,000 Snow goose on the lake, with many more coming and going..a real spectacle of white and black wing tips.

Looking over lake from Willow Point

There where also about 100 Red Breasted Mergansers, a pair oif Pin-tails and several hundred Canada Geese. I scoped the flocks looking the previously reported Greater White Fronted Goose..but alas no luck...although several Blue Phase Snow Goose had me looking very closing at them,

Snow Geese

Ring Necked Duck...at Willow Point

I next walked the Willow Point Trail...to get a closer look at the Snow Geese and to see if I could spot the Adult Bald Eagles on the nest...but the adults where no where to be seen.

Red Breasted Mergansers

 I did have add several dozens more Pintails and Gadwalls to the species count list.

I left after 2 1/2 hours with a species count of 28.

Until next time....good birding

  

Black Blacked Oriole 

I haven't posted for a while..but will be adding some older content from last year and new things from this year

Beginning with the ABA Mega rare Black Backed Oriole that is currently being seen about 25 miles from my home location. This is the 2nd North American record of this species. And I had the pleasure of viewing this species on Sunday February 5 along with about 50 other birders (see photo below). Over the past week, there have been close to 300 ebird reports submitted, with many others observing this once in lifetime species in our area.

The Black Backed Oriole is

A Mexican endemic, the Black-backed (or Abeille’s) Oriole was formerly considered to be conspecific with the Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula). This oriole principally breeds above 1500 m on the central plateau of the country and occurs in riparian habitat, although in winter it performs short-distance movements, and it also occupies other wooded areas, including pine–oak forests. The species is usually observed in pairs or small flocks, and the birds are unusual in being able to predate Monarch (Danaus pleixippus) butterflies, which are toxic to most potential predators. Compared to the Baltimore Oriole, which winters in central and southern Mexico, the present species shows extensive white in the wings, in addition to the largely black upperparts, and flanks. Females, in contrast, are perhaps best distinguished from the same-sex Baltimore Oriole by having less white wing bars.

If accepted, this bird would represent the 2nd North American record and the 1st Pennsylvania record! The first North American record was of a bird in southern California that was not accepted by ABA due to its question of origin. The same situation may apply to this bird.
 

Nonetheless, I have added it my life list...and hope to get back for another observation in the next few days. 

Until next time...good birding.

Walking the Lebanon Valley Rail - Sept 6

As the fall migration is starting, I thought I would return to one of my favorite fall and winter birding location - the Lebanon Valley Rail Trail Expo Center area Lebanon Valley Rail Trail

entrance to Rail Trail at Expo center

In didn't expect to see much...and I have never seen a warbler in this area,,,,but I was hopeful. As it turns out, the trail was very, very active on this wonderful late simmer day...lot's of bikers.

I followed my normal route, and started out hearing the Blue Jays and American Crows....and seeing Morning Doves sitting on the power line wires....a usual...nothing changed in the past 6 month.

Morning Dove

I stated down the trail and and immediately heard the Catbirds calling...along with the house finches...and Cardinals....then I heard a hawk calling and looked up to see a Broad Winged Hawk sailing overhead....a first for me in this area of the trail.

Broad Winged Hawk

as I continued down the trail (dodging bikers) I spotted several Downy, Red-Bellied and Hairy Woodpeckers and Yellow Shafted Northern Flicker...a little too early for the Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers. As it turns out..these where the hi-lights of the morning walk.

Yellow Shafted Flicker

I walked a total of 3 miles round trip...and ended the 2 hour walk with 28 species....not a bad day,,,,and I always enjoy walking this area....I will be returning at a later date once the wintering residents arrive in another month.

Not all that wander are lost.
 

Hammer Creek Road trip - Sept 4

On September 4 I led an Audubon birding walk along the Hammer Creek Road locating Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The walk started at 8am and as we assembled and left the parking area and female Rose Breasted Grosbeak was spotted.....we all had wonderful looks and added several most species to our trip list before leaving the parking area.

female Rose Breasted Grosbeak

We walked the next 1/2 mile- seeing resident species: Cardinals, Blue Jays, and had a Turkey Vulture flyover. We then observed some movement in the trees adn as it turned out...it was a small flock of warblers. We observed a female Redstart, Black Throated Green and a very drab Tennessee warbler plus several Red Eyed Vireo's mixed in the group. The trip count was not at 17 species.

female Redstart

Tennessee Warbler

Continuing along the road, we next saw a real surprise....a Canada Warbler....always a treat, After everyone got looks....we moved on and spotted a second small flock of birds foraging ahead.

Canada Warbler

As we approached several Red Eyed Vireo's, a Warbling Vireo and another surprise a Yellow Breasted Vireo was observed....no warblers in this group.....but no one was disappointment in seeing the Yellow Breasted Vireo.

Yellow Throated Vireo

After spending some time observing the vireo's (in hopes a warbler would show up) we moved on. At out next stop, we again ran into a small flock of warblers....adding to the list - Black & White warbler...our trip count moved up to 23 species.

Red Eyed Vireo

As we approached the power line cut  turnaround point @ 1.5 miles we heard the song of a Carolina Wren and several Easter Wood Peewee's. At the power line cut....we observed several Ruby Throated Hummingbirds and had looks at several more Black Throated Greens....but no other warblers where observed.

We returned to the parking area with a total species count of 36....and had only 6 species of warblers...but had good looks at them all....until next trip.

 

A Middle Creek Morning - August 15

After the thunderstorms last evening, I decided to check out Middle Creek wildlife Area to see if any early migrants had shown up...the fall migration usually only really gets started in our area the last week of August and only lasts about 3 weeks (if that - last yer we really only had on good week of birding).

I arrived @ stop 1 @ 7:45am, and scoped the ponds...the first species stopped was a Great Egret foraging along the edge of the pond, then a Great Blue Heron flew in, and I a found a pair a Wood Ducks in the back of the pond.,,,on the main pond there where Cormorants and one Spotted Sandpiper foraging on the tree stumps...I decided to move on and had 21 species.

Great Egret

Spotted Sandpiper

I next stopped just up the road from stop 1, as I spotted raptor flying low across the grass-fields (a possible Harrier), but I glassed the raptor, I turned out to be an juvenile Red Tailed Hawk...one of 4 I would see today. But all was not lost, in the same field I found Eastern Meadowlarks, Field Sparrows, and Eastern Kingbirds.

Eastern Kingbird

With my species count at 28, I next moved Stop 3 along the tour road....there was not much to see here toady, only some Barn Swallows, Tree Swallows, and several Goldfinchs....I did have a flyover Green Heron..but after about 20 minutes of scoping the area, I decided to move on...only adding 8 species to my daily total...now at 36.

Barn Swallow

I continued on the tour road without really seeing much until I was about to exit the Wildlife area and I heard the familiar song the Eastern Meadowlark,,,,I decided to see if I could spot the signing Meadowlark and was rewarded with a very close observation...and as an added bonus I also heard and saw several Bobolinks (a little surprised - they should almost all be gone by now - the hot, humid weather had a few hang around longer then normal). 

Bobolink

Exiting the tour road I proceeded to my last stop of the day, the Reesers Ponds along the entrance road to look for any shorebirds.

I set up the scope and began scanning the area....the first shorebird species spotted was a Killdeer, followed by Greater Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, Semi-plamated, Least and another Spotted Sandpiper,,,,I did see the recently reported juvenile Little Blue Heron. After about 30 minutes I decied to call it a day...,,,total species count was 47,,,,a good morning for sure,

I packed my scope away and started or home...after about 1 mile...I reached for my Monarch 7's and they where not on the seat.....panic set in....I then realized I left them on the rear bumber of my Blazer....I stopped and checked no gone.....more panic,,,,turned around and backtracked my trail....as I was re-entering the wildlife area I saw a man walking his dog,,,and as a long shot...stopped t ask if had found any bin...sure enough....he had found then laying on the road...I offered him a reward,,,but he refused....I thanks him and began checking the bins...no damage or cracks and still working precisely well...thanks Nikon for building a sturdy and hardy pair of bins...I would recommend Monarch 7's to anyone....they are light, clear, have a wide field of view and lastly they are tough and resist falls....it was an interesting 3 1/2 hours of birding this morning.

Not all that wander are lost.